Blogs from Kaikoura, South Island, New Zealand, Oceania - page 6

Hello All! So we left Haast and Jonny's pride behind and made our way over to Franz Josef Glacier, something which we were both really looking forward to. We decided to take the time to drive via Jackson's Bay which was supposed to be a brilliant drive - and it didn't disappoint. We stopped in Jackson's Bay and walked round with a cup of tea trying to avoid the sandflies. The Bay literally consisted of about 3 buildings and a public toilet but the view over the sea was amazing, unfortunately it was out of season but there tends to be a lot of penguins and other birds there. The rest of the drive to Franz Josef tested Jonnys driving skills. We drove up mountain after mountain on really winding roads and ended up in the ... read more

It was great to end my tour of NZ on a high note. I left Picton on the train bound for Kaikoura the whale watching capital I arrived at that they call the Whaleway Station, very apt. It incorporated the railway and the whale watching station. We left and headed out to sea, it was windy and therefore quite choppy. We headed out to where the continental shelf is, the water just drops into an abyss which is why the sperm whales are found here. There is an abundance of food where the warm waters of the Pacific flow and the cold waters of Antarica. The first stop we made the whale dived just as we arrived, the second time we stopped the same thing happened and I thought that maybe we weren't going to see ... read more

Ganz langsam beginnt der heutige Tag. 7 Uhr soll der Bus beladen werden. Gestern haben noch viele gemeint, dass sie viertel vor 6 aufstehen. Als ich mich dann kurz nach 6 in der Dusche finde, bin ich der erste hier. Naja, ich habe meine Ruhe und ganz entspannt startet der Morgen. Nachdem dem Frühstück wird der Bus beladen. Die Türen für den Gepäckraum sind bereits offen, nur der Fahrgastraum ist noch gesperrt. Gegen 7.30 Uhr kommt dann doch auch noch der Busfahrer. Auf geht es zum ersten Stop, Christchurch. Hier werden unsere zwei Busse größtenteils entladen, da viele von hier aus mit dem Flieger weiter machen. Einige neue Leute kommen dazu und dann geht es mit nur einem Bus weiter in Richtung Kaikoura. Christchurch selbst bekommen wir gar nicht weiter zu sehen. Der Busfahrer erzählt u.a., ... read more

Our last blog was entered out of sequence as we got a bit behind due to lack of Internet connection and having a great time. Lovely motel and slept a little better than I have been. Yummy breakfast prepared by Mr Combes and we packed said our goodbyes and left to tour the wineries. We arrived at Villa Maria at 10am just as it was opening a little early for tasting wine but nevertheless we did and bought some that we can't get in the UK more's the pity. Then on to Matua Valley which seems to have disappeared in the UK and was closed here yet the vines were growing and all looked well. We then drove past a boutique vineyard and then Cloudy Bay but as we were driving to Kaikoura we decided that ... read more

Travelled south to Kaikoura which is famed for marine life such as whales, dolphins, seals and many sea birds. Went seal watching on a very cold and windy day (see photos). Same cold and windy evening and having enjoyed a wonderful meal and local wines we decided to take a taxi back to the motel. What we failed to consider was that we were located in a rural town and everything closes at 9.30pm, even the local taxi firm. Great food and service beyond the norm at the White Morph restaurant as chef/owner Gary offered to drop us off at our motel. Where else in the world would you get this service.... read more